Bad English

Towards the end of the '80s a new generation of ‘supergroups’ emerged from the USA, including Mr. Big, Badlands, Damn Yankees, Alias, and arguably the most successful of them all, Bad English. The group was formed in 1988 by ex-Babys' vocalist and successful solo artist John Waite, ex-Santana and Journey guitarist Neal Schon, ex-Babys and Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain, ex-Babys' bassist Ricky Phillips, and ex-Wild Dogs' drummer Dene Castronovo. Their 1989 self-titled debut album was an instant success in the USA combining hard-edged, melodic rock with big ballads. It reached the US Top 10 helped on its way by the Dianne Warren-penned When I See You Smile, which was a US number 1 hit in 1990 (UK number 61). Success in the UK was not forthcoming and the album barely dented the Top 40, while a similar fate befell the single. 1991's follow up, BACKLASH, was backed up by the single Straight To Your Heart. Internal disagreements struck the band causing them to split soon after its release, with Waite resuming his solo career; Phillips and Castronovo joining the Jimmy Page and David Coverdale project; while Schon and Cain were rumoured to be reforming Journey. Despite their short history, Bad English left behind a legacy of quality melodic rock which achieved a high degree of commercial success.